Electric control device



Aug. 17, 1965 z. J. KRUZIC ELECTRIC CONTROL DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1962 INVENTOR Zelko J. Kruzic m JLW ATTORNEY WITNESSES: G EMUQK Aug. 17, 1965 2. J. KRUZIC ELECTRIC CONTROL DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28, 1962 United States Patent 3,291,545 ELECTRIC QGNTRGL DEVHIE Zellro Fl. Kruaic, New Brighton, Pa, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Qorporation, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 28, 1362, filer. No. 176,345 Claims. (Cl. filth-106) This invention relates to electric control devices, and more particularly to latch mechanisms for electric control devices.

In accordance with the present trend in the art of electrical control, which trend is to provide relays that are constructed compactly and that take up little space in panelboard units, an object of this invention is to provide an improved compactly constructed latch mechanism for latching a relay or other electric control mechanism in a predetermined position.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved compactly constructed electric control device comprising a control mechanism and a latch mechanism that is operable both manually and electrically to latch and unlatch the control mechanism.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved electric control device comprising a control mechanism and a latch mechanism that is automatically operatively connected to the control mechanism when the latch mechanism is mounted on the control mechanism.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to structure and operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of a control device taken generally along the line 1-1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the line ll-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view, enlarged with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, of the latch mechanism seen in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the latch mechanism in the unlatche-d position;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the latch carrier seen in FIGS. 3 and 4; and,

FIG. 6 is an elevational view along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an electric control device 5 comprising a relay '7 and a latch mechanism 9. The relay 7 is of the type that is described in more detail in the patent to Gustav Jakel, Patent No. 3,088,058, issued April 30, 1963.

The relay 7 comprises a housing having a base 13 and a cover 15 both of insulating material. The housing parts 13 and 15 are held firmly together as a unit by means of bolts (not shown). An E-shaped main magnet or core member 17 is supported with its legs extending upwardly, in the housing base 13. A magnetizing winding, or coil 19, which is disposed on a suitable spool 21 of insulating material, is positioned over the middle leg of the core member 17. An E-shaped armature 25 is provided to cooperate with the core member 17. The armature 25 is connected to an insulating contact carrier 27 by means of a bolt 29 which pivotally mounts the armature 25 on the contact carrier 27 so that the armature, within certain limits, has freedom of rotation in the plane of the paper as seen in FIG. 1.

The relay 7 is a four pole relay. Each pole unit comprises two stationary contact structures 31 (FIG.

" generally tubular core member 6% that 3,291,545 Patented Aug. 17, 1965 1) each of which has a solderless terminal connector 33 disposed at its outer end and a stationary contact 35 disposed at its inner end. In each pole unit, a bridging contact structure 39 having a contact 4-71 at each of its two opposite ends, is provided to bridge the stationary contacts 35. The bridging contact structure 39 is supported on the contact carrier 27 in an opening 43, and it is maintained in position by means of a spring that not only positions the bridging contact structure 39; but also acts to permit some motion of the bridging contact structure 39 upon contact engagement to thereby provide that the contacts will mate properly when they are closed. The contacts 35, 4-1 are normally open contacts although they are shown in FlGS. 1 and 2 in the closed position. It is to be understood that the contacts can be made normally open or normally closed, in a manner well known in the art, depending upon the particular control requirements. Two springs 47 (only one of which is seen in FIG. 2) are provided to bias the contact carrier 27 away from the closed position seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 to thereby provide for an opening operation of the relay 7 in a manner to be hereinafter specifically described.

The latch mechanism 9 comprises a supporting magnetic frame 51 having four leg members 53 attached thereto he means of bolts 55. The bolts 55 are tightened to draw the leg portions 53 into engagement with a part 57 (FIG. 1) of the housing part 15. As is best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the latch structure 9 also comprises an energizing coil 57 that is supported on an insulating spool 58 which coil and spool are supported on the frame 51. Solderless terminal connectors 59 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are provided to connect the coil 57 in an electric circuit. The latch structure 9 also comprises a stationary is disposed partially within the coil 57 and is fixedly supported on the frame 51. A movable core member or armature 61 which is generally tubular in shape and which is disposed partially within the coil 57, is provided to cooperate with the stationary core member 59. A spring 62 biases the movable core member 61 downward to the lower position seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. A generally tubular contact carrier 63 having two lower leg portions 65 and an upper knob portion 67, is disposed generally within both the tubular stationary core member 6% and the tubular movable core member 61. The contact carrier 63 is a molded insulating member. Two rigid metallic latch arms 69 are pivotally supported on the contact carrier 63 by means of a pivot pin 71, and they are biased outward in opposite directions by means of a torsion spring 73. Two slots 68 (FIG. 6) are provided in the contact carrier 63 to permit movement of the latch arms 69 to the latching and unlatching positions in a manner to be hereinafter described. The latch carrier 63 is biased downward (FIGS. 3 and 4) by means of a spring 75.

As seen in PEG. 1, when the latch mechanism 9 is mounted on the relay 7, the lower legs 65 (FIG. 6) of the latch carrier 63 engage an upper part 79 that is molded integral with the contact carrier 27. The legs 65 (FIG. 6) of the latch carrier 63 straddle a stationary insulating barrier 81 (FIG. 2) of the upper housing part 15 which insulating barrier is one of three such barriers as seen in FIG. 1 that provide insulation between the pole units of the relay.

The parts of the control device 5 are shown in the lower latched position in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in which position the four pole units of the relay 7 are in the closed position seen in FIG. 1. As is seen in FIG. 3, the latch carrier 63 is latched in the lower position by means of the latch arms 63 that are biased away from each other to engage the lower portion of the stationary core member 6d. Because of the engagement of the lower legs 65 (PEG. 6) of the contact carrier 63 with the upper part 79 (FIGS. 1 and 2) of the contact carrier 27, the contact carrier 27 and the core member 25 of the relay 7 are held in the latched lower closed position in which they appear in FIGS. 1 and 2. When it is desired to unlatch the latch mechanism 9 to operate the relay 7 to the open position, the coil 57 of the latch mechanism 9 is energized, whereupon the movable core member 61 (FIGS) is attracted upward against the bias of the spring 62 to engage cam surfaces 35 on the latch arms 69 forcing the latch arms 69 to pivot toward each other and out of engagement with the lower edge of the tubular stationary core member (iii to an unlatching position. This upward movement of the core member 61 is stopped when a fiange part 86 thereof engages the frame 51. Thus a small air gap is left between the core 61 and the core 6t) to prevent any magnetic residual tendencies when the coil 57 is tie-energized. When the latch arms 69 are moved to the unlatching position, the springs 47 (FIG. 2) of the relay '7 expand moving the contact carrier 27 and latch carrier 63 upward compressing the spring 75 (FIG. 4). Thereafter, the springs 47 (FIG. 2) will maintain the armature 25, contact carrier 2'7, and latch carrier 63 (FIG. 4) in the upper position, in which position the contacts 35, 41 of the relay 7 are open, until the relay 7 is operated. The coil 57 is energized only momentarily to effect an opening operation, and, when the coil is tie-energized, the spring 62 reis operable both manually and electrically to latch and turns the movable core member 61 to the lower position seen in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The relay 7 is closed by energization of the coil 19, whereupon the armature is pulled down to the position seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 moving the contact carrier 27 and the bridging contact members 39 downward to the closed position. As the contact carrier 27 is moved downward, a

the part 79 (FIG. 1) thereof moves away from the latch carrier 63, whereupon the spring 75 (FIG. 3) expands causing the latch carrier 63 to follow the contact carrier 27 (FIG. 1) downward .to the closed position. As the contact carrier 63 reaches a position wherein the latch arms 69 clear the lower edge of the stationary core member 66), the spring 73 forces the arms outwardly to the latching position seen in FIG. 3 to latch the latch carrier 63 and, therefore, the contact carrier 27 (FIG. 1) and armature 25 in the lower closed circuit position. Thus, even though energization of the coil 1% (FIG. '1) is momentary to effect a circuit closing operation, the relay 7 will be latched in the closed circuit position until the coil 57 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is again energized to unlatch the latch mechanism, or until the latch mechanism is unlatched manually.

The latch mechanism 9 is unlatched manually by placing a screw driver or othersuitable .tool in a slot 91 (FIGS. 3 and 4) that extends around the lower periphery of the movable core member 61, and manually moving the movable core member 61 upward to cam the latch arms 69 into an unlatching position (FIG. 4), whereupon the springs 47 (FIG. 2) operate to open the relay and move the latch carrier 63 upward to the position seen in FIG. 4 in the same manner hereinbefore described.

The relay 7 can be manually operated to the closed position by merely pressing the knob 67 of the latch carrier 63 (FIG. 4) downward from the position seen in FIG. 4

to the position seen in FIG. 3. This movement, by virtue of the engagement of the latch carrier 63 with the contact carrier 27 (FIG. 1), moves the contact carrier 27 and core member 25 down to the closed position closing the contacts 35, 41 of the four pole units. At the end of this movement, the latch arms 69 (FIG. 3) are moved to the. latching position seen in FIG. 3 by the spring 73 to latch the relay 7 in the closed position seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that there is provided, by thisinvention, an improved compactly constructed electric control device comprising a control structure and a latch mechanism for latching the control structure in a predetermined position. The latch mechanism .unlatch the control structure.

The latch carrier of the latch mechanism is operatively connected to the contact carrier of the control structure merely by the engagement thereof with the contact carrier. Thus, the latch mechanism becomes operatively connected to the control structure automatically when the latch mechanism is mounted on the control structure, so. that a worker can easily assemble and disassemble these parts in the field.

While the invention has been disclosed in accordance with the provisions of the patent statues, it is to be understood that various changes in the structural details and arrangement of parts thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electrical control device comprising, in combination, a control mechanism and a latch mechanism, said control mechanism comprising a stationary contact structure, a movable contact structure, a contact carrier movable to move said movable contact structure, a first biasing means biasing said contact carrier in a first direction to a first position, an electromagnet, means mounting said latch mechanism on said control mechanism, said latch mechanism comprising an energizing coil, a generally tubular magnetic member fixedly supported generally within said coil, a generally tubular armature movably supported generally within said coil, a latch carrier movably supported generally within said magnetic member and said armature, a latching arm movably supported on said latch carrier, a second biasing means biasing said armature axially in a direction opposite from said first direction and away from said magnetic member, a third biasing means biasing said latch carrier axially in the same direction as said armature is biased, a fourth biasing means biasing said latch arm in a latching direction, said latching arm having a cam surface thereon, saidthird biasing means biasing said latch carrier into engagement with said contact carrier, said first biasing means being stronger than said third biasing means whereby when said contact carrier is in said first position said latch carrier is maintained in a first position, said clectromagnet upon energization thereof operating to move said contact carrier away from said latch carrier to a second position whereupon said third biasing means operates to move said latch carrier to a second position wherein said latching arm is moved by said fourth biasing means into latching engagement with said magnetic member to thereby latch said latch carrier in said second position and said contact carrier in said second position, thereafter upon energization of said coil said armature moving toward said magnetic member to engage said cam surface on said latching arm to cam said latching arm to an unlatching position whereupon said first biasing means operates to move said contact carrier and said latch carrier back to said first position against the bias of said third biasing means.

2. An electrical control device comprising, in combina tion, a control mechanism and a latch mechanism, said control mechanism comprising a stationary contact structure, a movable contact structure, a contact carrier movable to move said movable contact structure, a first biasing means biasing said contact carrier in a first direction to a first position, an electromagnet, means mounting said latch mechanism on said control mechanism, said latch mechanism comprising an energizing coil, a generally tubular magnetic member fixedly supported generally within said coil, a generally tubular armature movably supported generally within said coil, a latch carrier movably supported generally within said magnetic member and said armature, a pair of latching arms pivotally supported on said latch carrier, a second biasing means biasin the same direction as said armature is biased, a fourth biasing means biasing said latching arms in opposite directions toward a latching position, each of said latching arms having a cam surface thereon, said third biasing means biasing said latch carrier into engagement with said contact carrier, said first biasing means being stronger than said third biasing means whereby when said contact carrier is in said first position said latch carrier is maintained in a first postion, said electromagnet upon energization thereof operating to move said contact carrier away from said latch carrier to a second position whereupon said third biasing means operates to move said latch carrier to a position wherein said latching arms are moved by said fourth biasing means into latching engagement with said magnetic member to thereby latch said latch carrier in said second position and said contact carrier in said second position, thereafter upon energization of said coil said armature moving toward said magnetic member to engage said cam surfaces on said latching arms to cam said latching arms to an unlatching position whereupon said first biasing means operates to move said contact carrier and said latch carrier back to said first position against the bias of said third biasing means.

3. An electric control device comprising, in combination,

(a) a control mechanism and a latch mechanism, means removably mounting said latch mechanism on said control mechanism,

(b) said control mechanism comprising a first magnetic member, a first coil supported to energize said first magnetic member, a first armature supported to cooperate with said first magnetic member, a stationary contact structure, a movable contact stru ture, a contact carrier structure upporting said movable contact structure, means connecting said first armature with said contact carrier structure, a first biasing means in a less-charged condition biasing said first armature said contact carrier structure and said movable contact structure in a first direction to a first ope-rating position wherein said first armature is spaced from said first magnetic member and wherein said movable contact structure is in a first operative position relative to said stationary contact structure,

(0) said latch mechanism comprising a second coil, a latching apparatus disposed generally within said second coil, said latching apparatus comprising a second magnetic member, a second armature, a latch ca ier, latch means supported on said latch carrier, a second biasing mean biasing said latch carrier in a second direction opposite from said first direction to thereby bias said latch carrier into engagement with said contact carrier structure,

(d) said first biasing mean being stronger than said econd biasing means whereby when said first biasing means is in said less-charged condition said first biasing means operates through said contact carrier structure to maintain said latch carrier in an inoperative position against the bias of said second biasing means,

(e) upon momentary energization of said first coil said first armature being attracted to said first magnetic member whereupon said first armature said contact carrier structure and said movable contact structure are moved in said second direction to a second operating position wherein said movable contact structure is in a second operative position relative to said stationary contact structure, upon movement of said first armature said contact car rier structure and said movable contact structure to said second operating position said first biasing means being charged to a more-charged condition and said carrier structure moving away from said latch carrier whereupon said second biasing means operates to move said latch carrier in said second direction to a latching position, upon movement of 6 said latch carrier to said latching position said latch means operating automatically to latch said latch carrier in said latching position to thereby latch said contact carrier structure said movable contact structure and said first armature in said second operating position,

(f) thereafter upon momentary energization of said second coil said second armature being attracted to move toward said second magnetic member to release said latch means to thereby release said latch carrier whereupon said first biasing means automatically returns to said less-charged condition moving said first armature said contact carrier structure and said movable contact structure back to said first operating position during which movement said contact carrier structure moves said latch carrier to said inoperative position against the bias of said second biasing means.

4. An electric control device comprising; in combination,

(a) a control mechanism and a latch mechanism, means remova'bly mounting said latch mechanism on said control mechanism,

(b) said control mechanism comprisin a first magnetic member, a first coil supported to energize said first magnetic member, a first armature supported to cooperate With said first magnetic member, a stationary contact structure, a movable contact srtucture, a contact carrier structure supporting said movable contact structure, means connecting said first armature with said contact carrier structure, a first biasing means in a less-charged condition biasing said first armature said contact carrierstructure and said movable contact structure in a first direction to a first operating position wherein said first armature is space-d from said first magnetic member and wherein said movable contact structure is in a first operative position relative to said stationary contact structure,

(c) said latch mechanism comprising a second coil, a latching apparatus disposed generally within said second coil, said latching apparatus comprising a second magnetic member, a second armature, a latch carrier, a latch supported on said latch carrier, a second biasing means biasing said latch to- Ward a latching position, a third biasing means biasing said latch carrier in a second direction opposite from said first direction to thereby bias said latch carrier into engagement with said contact carrier structure,

(d) said first biasing means being stronger than said third biasing means whereby when said first biasing means is in said less-charged condition said third biasing means operates through said contact carrier structure to maintain said latch carrier in an inoperative position against the bias of said third biasing means,

(e) upon momentary energization of said firs-t coil said first armature being attracted to said first magnetic member whereupon said first armature said contact carrier structure and said movable contact structure are moved in said second direction to a second operating position wherein said movable contact structure is in a second operative position rela tive to said stationary contact structure, upon movement of said first armature said contact carrier structure and said movable contact structure to said second operating position said first biasing means being charged to a more-charged condition and said carrier structure moving away from said latch carrier whereupon said third biasing means operates to move said latch carrier in said second direction to a latching position, upon movement of said latch carrier to said latching position said second biasing means biasing said latch to a position where in said latch latches said latch carrier in said latching position to thereby latch said contact carrier (f) thereafter upon momentary energization of said tion,

second coil said second armature being attracted to move toward said second magnetic member to engage and cam said latch to a releasing position against the bias of said second biasing means to thereby release said latch carrier whereupon said first biasing means automatically returns to said less-charged condition moving said first armature said contact carrier structure and said movable contact structure back to said first operating position during which movement said contact carrier structure moves said latch carrier to said inoperative position against the bias of said third biasing means. An electric control device comprising; in combina- (a) a control mechanism and a latch mechanism,

means removably mounting said latch mechanism on said control mechanism,

-(b) said control mechanism comprising a first magture and said movable contact structure in a first direction to a first operating position wherein said first armature is spaced from said first magnetic member and wherein said movable contact structure is in a first operative position relative to said stationary contact structure,

(c) said latch mechanism comprising a second coil,

a latching apparatus disposed generally within said second coil, said latching apparatus comprising a second magnetic member, a second armature, a latch carrier, latch mean supported on said latch carrier, a second biasing means biasing said latch carrier in a second direction opposite from said direction to thereby bias said latch carrier into engagement with said contact carrier structure,

(d) said first biasing means being stronger than said second biasing means whereby when said first bi-asing means is in said less-charged condition said first biasing means operates through said contact carrier structure to maintain said latch carrier in an inoperative position against the bias of said second biasing means,

(e) upon momentary energization of said first coil said first armature being attracted to said first magnetic member whereupon said first armature said 8 contact carrier structure and said movable contact structure are moved in said second direction to a second operating position wherein said movable contact structure is in a second operative position relative to said stationary contact structure, upon movement of said first armature said contact carrier structure and said movable contact structure to said second operating position said first biasing means being charged to a more-charged condition and said carrier structure moving away from said latch carrier whereupon said second biasing means operates to move said latch carrier in said second direction to a latching position, upon movement of said latch carrier to said latching position said latch means operating automatically to latch said latch carrier in said latching position to thereby latch said contact carrier structure said movable contact structure and said first armature in said second operating position,

(i). thereafter upon momentary energization of said second coil said second armature being attracted to move toward said second magnetic member to cam said latch means to a releasing position to thereby release said latch carrier whereupon said first biasing means automatically returns to said less-charged condition moving said first armature said contact carrier structure and said movable contact structure back to said first operating position during which movement said contact carrier structure moves said latch carrier to said inoperative position against the bias of said second biasing means.

(g) and means for manually moving aid second armature toward said second magnetic member to a position wherein said second armature engages and cams said latch to said releasing position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,052,595 2/13 Lamphier 200-87 2,027,064 1/36 Rozumek 200-98 2,370,038 2/45 Igle'hart 317191 2,448,959 9/48 Conlan 317-187 2,510,604 6/50 Pfait et al. 20098 2,853,658 9/58 Lindenberg 317-187 2,955,241 10/60 Schleicher 317187 2,959,651 11/ Strobel et al 200l22 3,076,074 1/63 Landow et al. 200-98 3,088,058 4/63 Jakel 317195 FOREIGN PATENTS 595,274 3/ 60 Canada. 822,192 9/ 37 France. 844,337 8/60 Great Britain,

BERNARD A. GELHEANY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT K. SCI-IA'EFER, Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONTROL DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A CONTROL MECHANISM AND A LATCH MECHANISM, SAID CONTROL MECHANISM COMPRISING A STATIONARY CONTACT STRUCTURE, A MOVABLE CONTACT STRUCTURE, A CONTACT CARRIER MOVABLE TO MOVE SAID MOVABLE CONTACT STRUCTURE, A FIRST BIASING MEANS BIASING SAID CONTACT CARRIER IN A FIRST DIRECTION TO A FIRST POSITION, AN ELECTROMAGNET, MEANS MOUNTING SAID LATCH MECHANISM ON SAID CONTROL MECHANISM, SAID LATCH MECHANISM COMPRISING AN ENERGIZING COIL, A GENERALLY TUBULAR MAGNETIC MEMBER FIXEDLY SUPPRTED GENERALLY WITHIN SAID COIL, A GENERALLY TUBULAR ARMATURE MOVABLY SUPPORTED GENERALLY WITHIN SAID COIL, A LATCH CARRIER MOVABLY SUPPORTED GENERALLY WITHIN SAID MAGNETIC MEMBER AND SAID ARMATURE, A LATCHING ARM MOVABLE SUPPORTED ON SAID LATCH CARRIER, A SECOND BIASING MEANS BIASING SAID ARMATURE AXIALLY IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE FROM SAID FIRST DIRECTION AND AWAY FROM SAID MAGNETIC MEMBER, A THIRD BIASING MEANS BIASING SAID LATCH CARRIER AXIALLY IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS SAID ARMATURE IS BIASED, A FOURTH BIASING MEANS BIASING SAID LATCH ARM IN A LATCHING DIRECTION, SAID LATCHING ARM HAVING A CAM SURFACE THEREON, SAID THIRD BIASING MEANS BIASING SAID LATCH CARRIER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CONTACT CARRIER, SAID FIRST BIASING MEANS BEING STRONGER THAN SAID THIRD BIASING MEANS WHEREBY WHEN SAID CONTACT CARRIER IS IN SAID FIRST POSITION SAID LATCH CARRIER IS MAINTAINED IN A FIRST POSITION, SAID ELECTROMAGNET UPON ENERGIZATION THEREOF OPERATING TO MOVE SAID CONTACT CARRIER AWAY FROM SAID LATCH CARRIEER TO A SECOND POSITION WHEREUPON SAID THIRD BIASING MEANS OPERATES TO MOVE SAID LATCH CARRIER TO A SECOND POSITION WHEREIN SAID LATCHING ARM IS MOVED BY SAID FOURTH BIASING MEANS INTO LATCHING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID MAGNETIC MEMBER TO THEREBY LATCH SAID LATCH CARRIER IN SAID SECOND POSITION AND SAID CONTACT CARRIER IN SAID SECOND POSITION, THEREAFTER UPON ENERGIZATION OF SAID COIL SAID ARMATURE MOVING TOWARD SAID MAGNETIC MEMBER TO ENGAGE SAID CAM SURFACE ON SAID LATCHING ARM TO CAM SAID LATCHING ARM TO AN UNLATCHING POSITION WHEREUPON SAID FIRST BIASING MEANS OPERATES TO MOVE SAID CONTACT CARRIER AND SAID LATCH CARRIER BACK TO SAID FIRST POSITION AGAINST THE BIAS OF SAID THIRD BIASING MEANS. 